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THE BLOG

05/14/2006 09:54 pm ETUpdated
May 25, 2011

Foucault in The West Wing?

By Thomas de Zengotita

Did you catch that?

The movers who entered Bartlet's White House room while Santos was being sworn in took a book by Michel Foucault from Bartlet's shelves.

What's that about?

My guess? Somebody on The West Wing wants people who know who Foucault is to believe that we could have a president in this country who takes critical theory into account when he makes his oh so human, yet so wise, decisions.

Of course, The West Wing is the ultimate example of everything critical theory was devoted to opposing -- it's a TV SHOW PHANTASMAGORIA, FOR GOD'S SAKE.

Does is it also contain a real possibilty of progress?

That too was part of critical theory. At least as Walter BenJamin conceived it.